Beginning in March, MSU’s reputable food system studies center will gain an internationally known expert on foodborne disease.
Ewen Todd has been named director of MSU’s National Food Safety and Toxicology Center.
Todd has a long history of research accomplishments dealing with the risks and effects of toxins found in food such as E. coli and salmonella, said Lawrence Fischer, director of MSU’s Institute for Environmental Toxicology.
“I think he has a very large amount of experience in the area of food safety research including the risks of microbial contamination in the food supply,” Fischer said. “We’re very happy to have a person of his stature at Michigan State.”
The National Food Safety and Toxicology Center, which was established in 1998, focuses on toxicology research, outreach and public policy.
Todd said he is excited to lead the center’s group of talented personnel and grateful for the support from university officials.
“This is something being promoted from the highest levels and the support will continue,” he said. “They see this as a key area for the university to get involved with.”
Todd, who is originally from Glasgow, Scotland, currently heads the Contaminated Foods Section in the Bureau of Microbial Hazards Health Products and Food Branch of Health Canada. He is also chairman of the Foodborne Disease Reporting Centre in Ottawa, Canada.
Les Bourquin, a food science and human nutrition assistant professor who is affiliated with the center, said Todd’s breadth of experience is rare.
“He’s worked in government on the regulatory side but still has maintained strong ties to research,” Bourquin said. “And that’s a combination you don’t often find.”
Fischer said Todd’s expertise is significant because food safety studies have become more focused on microbial risk assessment as opposed to chemical risks. Microbes include bacteria, fungal contamination, parasites and viruses that may be present in food or water.
“I think that because his major interest lies in contamination by microbes in the food supply, that that area of food safety will be bolstered considerably,” he said.
Todd said he plans to use his international experiences and contacts to help the National Food Safety and Toxicology Center play an important role in developing food safety strategies for the world.
“We are going to be looking at what linkages we can make within the whole campus and even beyond,” he said. “It’s going to be a challenge, but I think that everyone has been very helpful to me so far and I in turn will try to make things work out for the benefit of everyone.”
